Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-04-28

capo once in the happy after years, s1e
thought Of it thousand times, and shud-
dered every time, as she remembered how
nearly she came to throwing away her life.
"But how did you find out about itln she
asked Shirley once.
THAT" replied Shirley, gravely, "is some
thing will never tell you"
So ended one more of Brownies exploita-
tions "for the fun Of it" After that they
said no more about it either way.
Patience, reader! Each trivial episode is q
link in the chain Of the CarStone history.
The sisters went to the fair south, to a land
of magnolias and mocking birds, of roses and
oleanders, "a land where it is always after
noon"
They made same pleasant acquaintance.
One was an elderly English gentleman who
was making tour of America. He had
fine, high bred manner, and at the same time
frank and simple ways that reminded Shirley
of her father. The sisters were drawn to
him at once, and he to them.
Mr.. Edgerly had heard of Shirley's silk
colony. He was no less surprised than de-
lighted to find the founder of it in this young
and beautiful woman.
On journey a week counts for six months
in making acquaintance. Mr.. Edgerly and
the sisters felt like friends of lifetime when
the parting came. Between Shirley and Mr..
Edgerly there passed at sight that mystic
freemasonry of genuine high minded souls
which needs no credentials of introduction.
The sisters invited the English gentleman to
visit Linwood and the silk colony.
He accepted the invitation as frankly and
yin1l hoI
week with them. He was charming CON-
pany. He had Travelled up and down the
earth, and had world of novel and thrilling
experiences to tell. To Shirley, lonely soul,
shut up there apart in Linwood, communing
only with her own thoughts, he seemed like
visiIant from another world.
Even Mrs. Carstone was roused from her
wonted ladylike invalidism by the presence
of Mr. Edgerly. At the end of q week he left
them. He, on his part, was as pleased with
his stay as they were The pretty village, the
women at work with the cobwebby silk fibre,
and above all Shirley herself, SO strangely
beautiful-Shirley, with the brain of sage,
the heart Of a child-all this interested him
keenly. He had seen all the world, he
thought, but here was something new even
for him. He declared that here was the best
part of his visit to the United States
With assurances on both sides of friendly
remembrances, he went away. Mrs. Car
stone spoke of him ever after as "that de-
lightful English gentleman. Brownie called
him "that darling old Britisher," and wished
the young men were as lovely as the old
ones!
Life settled down to its same old jog after
his departure. Time wore on without a
break, for good or bad, in Shirley's exist
ence.
Three years after Mr.. Edgerly's visit she
and Brownie waited for the Linwood train
one day at Chesterton. While they waited
they lunched. At table near by were a
lady and gentleman, also having luncheon
"What a stuck-up looking young man that
is," whispered Brownie.
He was u good looking youth, with light
fine, frank face and sunny brown
hair. There was an air of pride and haughti-
ness about his mouth and square chin, some
what belied by the look in his merry blue
eye His manner proclaimed to all the world,
II am an Englishman."
"But his clothes are lovely" whispered
Brownie, further.
The lady beside him had also a conscious
air of being a superior being. She was mid
die aged and quick and jerky in her move
ments. She glanced restlessly about her,
talked in rapid, much accenting way, and
in shrill high keyed voice She talked
much and rather loudly, and used number
less obs, abs and indeels.
The lady gave a sudden displeased sniff
She beckoned to waiter and pointed to a
window in far corner. A man was smoking
\ cigar in blissful peace there.
"Is smoking allowed in this room?' asked
she, in her shrfll, rapid, tones. She paralyzed
the unhappy attendant with the glance of
her eye.
He was obliged to admit that smoking was
not wholly forbidden
II can not have it" said the much accenting
lady. "Will you go to that gentleman and tell
him can not have him smoking in here"
Involuntarily the merry British blue eyes
at the one table and the merry American
brown eyes at the other table met in half
smile.
Shirley and Brownie came home. Shirley
found there q letter from their friend, the
English gentleman of three years before 1t
read:
"MY DEAR MISS CARsToNE-May COM
mend to the tender mercies of yourself and
your sister my son, Robert Edgerly? He is
now in tho United States and wishes, of
course, to see Linwood and certain ladiesS
whom his old father remembers more vividlyI
and esteems more highly than anybody else
he met in America
"You will find Robert not a bad sort of
hot h1 lo Sc
wise. l trust to the Lnwood ladies to cure
him of that. He will probably present him
self in person soon.
"Yours, very sincerely,
John EDGERLY."
Which he did.
The reader has already perceived that he
was the young man with the merry blue eye,
whom the sisters had seen at Chesterton. He
was youth of sincere, strong nature, with
the most graceful, winning ways, when he
chose, also when he chose, the reverse of
agreeable
he had an intense pride of family, of race
and nation. In this respect indeed he out
Englished even his countrymen
Like his father, Robert Edgerly was inter-
ested i'll what he saw at Linwood, though not
perhaps in precisely the same matters. I'm
like his father, however, he fingered on in
Linwood for weeks. Then he went away
and came back. In truth Brownie fascinated
him more than he was willing to admit to
himself.
He was not popular in Linwood, however,
as Mr.. Wabbnobbs had been before him.
The villagers resented his naughty, re-
served ways. He made it SO extremely plain